


Running Home

by Dacia



Category: Original Work
Genre: Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Mentions of Multiple Partners, Multi, Multiple Partners, Multiple Soulmates, Original Mythology, Original Universe, Polyamory, Soul Bond, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2021-02-12 14:16:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21477721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dacia/pseuds/Dacia
Summary: In a world where bonds are threads of colours on one's skin, he has been markless - a canvas waiting.And now the painter is here.
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character, Rifan/Suhas
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7
Collections: Droid's short stories





	Running Home

The streetlights were blinking into wakefulness by the time Suhas reached the bookstore. Situated as it was, behind the bakery, Suhas had to wait a few minutes for the large group of school students to leave with their pastries before he could step in the alley and breathe a sigh of relief. The store was open. He had not been sure that it would be open, what with the Litva keskel coming up. It had closed down during the Fiore keskel and Suhas hated not having new books during the keskels.

The inside of the store was more crowded than usual. Suhas was mildly surprised. And irritated, but he was going to ignore that feeling till it left. He focused on the books instead. The ones on display rack, he had already bought most of them and the ones he had not - he did not want those. He moved towards the inner aisles, sighing minutely at the familiar lack of proper arrangement. Suhas had asked the girl at the counter about it once. Apparently the store owner preferred it this way. Suhas had considered asking if he could contact the owner but at that point the girl had seen the empty stretch of skin on his arms and neck, had ran her eyes over him and found not a single sign that Suhas was bonded. She had reared back, as though scalded and Suhas had left. He had not returned here for the next three months and ten days, unable to get the horrified look of the girl's eyes out of his head. 

And then a colleague at work had reacted the same way, the way everyone had been reacting to him ever since he had turned ten without forming a single bond, and he figured going without his one pleasure for something he was used to anyway was rather pointless, if not completely foolish. And he was visiting the store tonight. There were three months' worth of books waiting to be bought by him.

Suhas kneeled before a shelf, tugging out a book with cream cover and a black butterfly printed on it. He turned it over, skimming over the blurb. It was about a black-marked woman who receives a silver bond. He tried not to roll his eyes, putting it back on the rack. Of course. The rarest bond in all of Cenienor would be the most popular one in the stories.

The book next to it was a non-fiction, about the keskel festivals and their origins. Suhas kept that one. He flipped through the next few books at random, coming across three cookbooks, five self-helps and two novels. He kept the novel by the Xachanian author and put back the rest, before getting up to check the other racks and almost fell over as several people squeezed in the tiny aisle at the same time.

Suhas glared at the people behind him. There were three Psithians, three men and five women. None of them seemed to notice him. One Psithian were looking at the book with black butterfly. Two women were looking at a green book, talking among themselves in a language that sounded like Mihanshi. Suhas did not know for sure. He did not speak it. He turned forward again, still glaring, and caught the Psithian with the butterfly book by the corner of his eyes. The blue haired guy was leaning against the other two, listening silently with his nose pressed against one of their's neck as the Psithian spoke fervently, gesturing, possibly about the book. Suhas saw a gold line twisting up their arm in an intricate design and looked away hurriedly, turning at the book in his hands that he had picked up mindlessly.

A gold bond. Nearly as rare as a silver one. Suhas had met only one person with a gold bond before, and that was back when he was in school. He shook his head slightly, focusing on the present. That was not a time he wanted to remember.

Almost against his wish, his eyes turned towards the pair again. One of the other men had joined them now, his hand caressing at the waist of the blue haired guy, dragging up the shirt lazily. Suhas watched as the fingers drew lines on the blue-red mark blooming there and wondered if they had a silver bond as well. A dual-color mark was not really unusual, but most people with a gold bondmate tended not to have any other bondmates. And a dual-color mark was found more often in those who had several mates - often as many as five rather than the usual three.

The hand was scratching at the mark lightly. Suhas realized that he was still staring and looked away, catching the blue haired guy's eyes in the process. He was looking at Suhas intently, an almost amused light in his eyes. Suhas flushed and looked at his hands. He did not want this book. There was a bitter taste in the back of his throat and the store was feeling too hot. He put the book back on the rack and hurried to the counter, feeling lightheaded all of a sudden. He paid, taking the packet almost mindlessly, feeling a numb gratitude that the crowd had not moved towards the billing area yet. He squeezed his way through the milling bodies and nearly stumbled out on the street, feeling a sharp relief at the cold breeze.

Suhas pressed the heel of his hand against his eyes. They seemed to be pounding. He wondered if he was coming down with something - making a face at the thought of medicine. It could have been simple overwork. He had had a busy week. Suhas tried not to wince at the loudness as he crossed the road. His head was still spinnin, the sound not helping in the least. He swallowed twice, trying to get rid of the dryness in his mouth as he walked down past the park, keeping his eyes on his right. There should be a shortcut back to his place from here, right after ... _there's the pastry shop_.

The lane was darker, quieter. Suhas breathed out once the noise had died down somewhat. His head was pounding, and he really really wanted his bed. He bit back a curse as he stumbled on a pebble. The darkness was soothing to his eyes but it was not really ideal for walking quickly. Taking out his phone, he bit his lips at the sight of low battery and put it back. Even with the shortcut, his place was at least an hour away and using the rest of the charge on torch would be stupid. Usually Suhas took the portal, but even on a good day it made him feel like throwing up. Not to mention that it was way too crowded for his taste.

He stepped around a puddle carefully and stopped, looking back. The street was empty behind him, with a half-broken streetlight blinking tiredly and throwing strange shadows across the road. Suhas frowned and started to walk again. He had probably mistaken the noise.

The street opened up to Qift road. Suhas tried to ignore the rising noise level and walked towards the crossing where a group of people were already waiting. The headlights of the cabs were hurting his eyes badly at this point. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, looked up and saw the blue haired man from the bookstore at the other end of the crowd. He was staring at Suhas as intently as before.

Suhas snapped his eyes away as the crowd started to move. He pushed through the people around him, his heart pounding. The pain in his head was sharpening. He stumbled on the sidewalk, almost shoving someone over. Suhas picked up his pace, his hands feeling clammy around the bag. It could have been a mistake. He could have been going the same direction, that is all. He looked back. The man was still there, walking with his eyes on Suhas.

Suhas quickened his steps further, twisting through the rush of bodies. Qift road was a market area - busy on a regular day. With the keskel coming up, the amount of shoppers had almost tripled. Any other time, Suhas would avoid the place, but right now he felt safer with the crowd.

He tried to ignore the headache pounding in his forehead and eyes as he walked through the twisting lanes of jewelry shops and bakeries. Suhas could feel his feet hurting. He had been walking quicker than usual and had lost his balance way too many times in that shortcut earlier. He was glad that he had not sprained anything, but nonetheless his feet would definitely thank him once he sat down. He gave a cursory glance behind him as he turned the bend. Just a little longer and he would be home.

Utaza street was quieter. Not that it took much to be quieter than Qift road. Usually Suhas would take his time walking through this area, breathing in the silence. But right now he kept his pace up, and tried his best to listen for any footsteps following him. The night air was cool on his cheeks and he tried to focus on that and not on the needling pain that was piercing his eyes with every breath.

Suhas looked behind again. He should not have. The man was still there, walking towards him. He seemed to open his mouth as their eyes met.

Suhas ran. There was a pounding sound in his ears. He could not quite think about why he needed to run. But he could not stop. There was a sharp coldness across his spine. He tried not to listen to the sound of running boots behind him as he swerved around the bend. He would be at his place soon. He just needed to get home.

His feet caught on something. The ground was rushing up. Suhas realized there was a pair of hands holding him up. He could not quite feel his legs. And his head felt light. He looked up as the hands lowered him to the ground. The streetlights were too bright. The edges of his sight was getting darker. He blinked and met a pair of green eyes. Then everything went black.

* * *

\- "Help!"

Shighrix looked up, running out from her table even before the scream had even registered fully. She took the pulse of the unconscious man as Roan and Mihaya got him on a stretcher. She looked up at the other man, the one who had screamed for help.

\- "What happened?"

"I don't know." She stopped him from following the stretcher, wincing at the sight of fear on his face. "I just. He is."

He stopped for a moment. Shighrix waited for him to catch his breath and pulled out a tab.

"Here". She pressed the tab in his hand. "The healers are looking over him. Just fill this up."

"I can't." He looked helpless. "I don't know anything about him."

Shighrix blinked. She had thought they were mates. "Alright. Could you tell me anything about in what condition you found him?"

\- "Ah... he was running?"

"What?" She stared.

He winced. "Sorry. I am not really making any sense, am I? Look." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I met him earlier in a bookstore. I touched him accidentally. He left soon after. I realized, after he started walking away that we have formed a bond." He went on, looking frantic with every word. "I went after him immediately. He saw me and started running. I ran after him. He lost his balance, I grabbed him, the mark was completed and he passed away." He took a breath. "He seemed like he was in severe pain moments before passing away. If it was the mark, I should have felt it too right?" He looked imploringly at Shighrix. "I did not feel a thing. Also, we should have had at least a day to complete it. It could not have been more than a hour between the first touch and the second touch. I really don't know why..."

Shighrix looked away from the man rubbing his eyes helplessly and at Healer Ark who had just appeared. Ark looked more flabbergasted than worried so Shighrix supposed nothing too serious.

\- "Are you the one who brought Suhas in?"

The man looked up at her blankly. "I don't know his name." 

"You do not need to worry so much." Ark smiled at him and pressed a file in Shighrix's hand. "He will make a full recovery. You have a very unusual bondmate - ?"

"Rifan." The man sagged with relief. "He is alright then? What happened?"

"He is. And as for what happened... " Ark frowned slightly. "Did you know that Suhas has no previous marks?"

Shighrix could feel her eyes widening. Rifan looked surprised.

\- "I did not know that."

"It is very likely that the sudden shock of receiving a bond after being markless all this time affected his energy levels more severely than it should have. I do not know if you have any other marks..."

"I do." Rifan cut her off. "Eight others."

Shighrix wondered if that effected the bond energy. Ark seemed to think the same.

"That is a higher than average number of bond. Your soul energy has a very different constitution than his and that may have caused him to pass out. Also there is the nature of the bond to think about." A look of wonder came on Ark's face. "The two of you have formed a dual gold-silver bond."

"Is that even possible?" Shighrix winced at herself the next moment. She should not even be listening to this. Though neither Ark nor Rifan seemed to care.

"Theoretically. But I have never seen or heard of one." Ark looked awestruck at the memory. "I have never seen a silver one either, much less this. Say", she looked at Rifan, "If you do not mind telling me, the other bonds you have, what color are they?"

"Five gold and three dual red-blue" Rifan sounded dazed and confused.

Ark's eyes widened. "Your soul energy must be very unique. At any rate." she gestured at the file "All details are there. Since the silver bond is one that can kill the bondmates unless completed with second touch within a day, I would say that it is mainly that mark that tired Suhas so severely. Combined with the fact that the two of you have very different kinds of soul energy, and that he had had been markless for all this time and then received a dual mark of such a high energy - he requires rest right now. And I don't mean physical rest alone." Ark's eyes sharpened. "There is a chance that his subconscious tried to refuse the mark, hence the severe reaction in so short a time. Considering that he had been markless all this time, and we all know what kind of treatment the markless go though - he will require constant emotional support till his soul energy finds balance."

Rifan nodded quietly. "Can I see him?"

"Of course." Ark nodded, already starting to walk away. "But don't wake him if he sleeping. Once he is awake, he can leave. I would suggest that for at least the next week, both of you should be staying together as much as possible."

Rifan nodded silently before walking towards the patients' quarters. Shighrix looked at the file at her hand. Opening it she could not find any emergency numbers listed. She sighed to herself, not really surprised. The markless were often, if not always, disowned by their family.

She rubbed her own blue mark where it was wrapped around her wrist, its presence a constant comfort. Her other bonds were red and on her back. She placed the file on her desk and sat down. She would leave early tonight. It has been too long since she had had a free evening with her family.

* * *

The fingers running through his hair was soft. He turned his face towards them, trying to chase that warmth as it left. There was a gentle chuckle from above him. He kept his eyes closed, and tried to hold on to the last breaths of sleep.

Suhas opened his eyes to dim lighting. The room was unfamiliar. There was a hand that was holding his own. He looked up and saw green eyes.

\- "I am not going to harm you I promis - you have an IV, stop!"

"Who are you? "Suhas gasped out, wincing at the pain from where he had tugged the needle out. He glared and shoved at the man when he tried to lean over him. The man rolled his eyes and pushed the call button for about five times and moved back only when the nurses came.

Suhas waited till the nurses had left after putting the IV in again. Then he rounded at the man, who had introduced himself as Rifan. And his bondmate. But he was going to ignore that part because he was pretty sure that Rifan was mistaken.

\- "You chased me!"

"Because of the bond." Rifan stared at him, deadpan. "Why did you run?"

"You could have been a serial killer for all I knew." Suhas looked away. "And stop with that talk of bonds and all. I am markless."

He tugged his hand away when Rifan took it in his own. Rifan let him.

"The mark runs down our spines" Rifan's words had an accent Suhas could not place. He kept his eyes on the wall.

"It is also wrapped around our pelvic bones and then stretches up to a final spread on our chests. Right over the heart." Suhas saw a long fingered hand touch his collarbone gently. "You could see it easily. May I?"

Suhas didn't move. He looked at Rifan after a moment. He was watching Suhas silently.

He swallowed. Looked at the ceiling and nodded.

Suhas could feel his blanket being pulled away to his waist. A hand undid the strings holding the cotton sleeping dress together at front and pushed the material down his shoulders. He closed his eyes for a moment before looking down.

The twisting lines spread over his chest and dipped down, past his stomach. Silver and gold. _Silver and gold_. He ran a shaking finger down the lines, pausing as another finger joined his own.

\- "I did not get to say sorry."

Suhas looked at Rifan. _Bondmate_. His hair was a more muted blue in this dim light.

\- "For marking me?"

"No. No." Rifan snapped his eyes up. "For shoving you." Suhas watched him swallowing. "In the bookstore. I wanted to talk to you and they, um, my other bondmates, they knew and were teasing me and we were shoving each other, and I hit you and..."

Suhas watched quietly as Rifan tugged the dress close, tied the strings carefully, and pulled the blanket up, tucking it around him.

"I got scared. You were glaring at everyone." Rifan picked up one of his hands, tracing the knuckles carefully. "And then you were looking at me and well..." He bit his lips. "I am sorry for making you think I was a serial killer. I should have tried to speak to you from the first."

Suhas looked at the finger tracing his nails. "I don't really know what to say." He murmured, trying not to get used to the warmth of Rifan's hand. "I don't even know why I ran. I looked at you and suddenly... I don't know. I was trying to run, but I didn't know from what." He breathed out tiredly. "Maybe it was from the mark. I haven't never not been markless." He remembered the almost glowing lines. "I did not know they came in that color."

Rifan laughed softly and it seemed to light up the entire room. Suhas tried not stare. He looked at their clasped hands again. The warmth was seeping in his skin.

"The healer said it shows unique soul energy." He murmured and pulled Suhas's palm closer. Suhas closed his eyes at the feeling of a pair of lips pressing against his wrist.

"I just know that it means I am blessed." Rifan whispered and all of a sudden there was a sharp burning in the back of Suhas's eyes.

"You sure about that? " He kept his eyes on the ceiling as a laugh broke free. "I tend to be more of a curse."

"I tend not to be blind." Rifan sounded sharper than he had till now. Suhas kept his eyes closed as insistent fingers caressed at his cheeks.

\- "Please look at me."

He should not plead. There was too much... _light_ in Rifan for him having to plead like this. Like Suhas remembered pleading, so many times, silently, loudly, _don't leave, stay with me, look at me. _

_Please look at me. _

"You have other bondmates", he whispered, eyes fixed on the face leaning above him. "There might be something wrong with my soul that had kept me markless till now. Aren't you worried that it could harm you, any of you, all of you, somehow?"

"Soul energy is not a thing that hurts anyone." Rifan arched an eyebrow. Suhas was almost surprised at the sudden bout of irritation he felt. His eyebrows did not do _that_.

He could see the sky lightening through the half-open window. _How long have I been sleeping?_

"Shouldn't you go home?" Suhas looked at Rifan again. "You have people who must be worrying for you."

"Actually you are the one who they are worried about. Also they are right outside." Rifan grinned slightly. "Everyone wanted to meet you really bad. Couldn't wait for you come home."

"Everyone?" He refused to think about what home meant.

"I have eight other bondmates." Rifan tucked the blanket more securely around him. Suhas felt a heaviness of exhaustion settling over his bones.

\- "That's a lot".

-"We have a big family."

"We ?" Suhas blinked lazily, tried to stay awake a little longer. Rifan was smiling.

"Of course." Suhas sighed as a hand, warm, firm, Rifan's hand, settled over the blanket, right over where his heart was. Right over their mark.

\- "_We."_

**Author's Note:**

> twt @sphinxdroid
> 
> You can find my original fictions - this one and others - in https://sphinxdroid.wixsite.com/droidtranslations/work
> 
> Eventually I will posting nearly all my original works there, along with some danmei translations - so do drop by.


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